How Do You Can Dry Beans?

To can dry beans, rinse and soak them, cook them for 30 minutes, and place the beans into sterilized canning jars to be processed in a pressure canner. Since beans are a low-acid food, they must be canned using a pressure canner. Non-pressure canning methods do not reach sufficiently high temperatures to kill poisonous botulism bacteria in low-acid foods. A total of 5 pounds of dried beans makes seven 1-quart jars, while 3 1/2 pounds makes nine 1-pint jars.

Rinse beans thoroughly and clean them of any bits of dirt, debris or rocks. Soak the beans overnight in sufficient water to cover them. To quickly hydrate beans, cover washed beans with boiling water in the cooking pot. Boil for two minutes, remove from heat, soak them for one hour and drain.

Rinse the soaked beans in a colander. Place them in the cooking pot, and add enough water to cover them plus 1/4 teaspoon of salt per pint of canned beans. Bring the beans to a boil, and cook for 30 minutes. Preheat the pressure canner according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Clean canning jars by washing them in the dishwasher, and keep the jars hot in the dishwasher until filling them. Fill the jars immediately with cooked beans and hot cooking liquid, leaving 1 inch head space per jar to avoid overflow during processing. Screw lids lightly onto the filled jars, and place them into the pressure canner. Be aware that fastening lids tightly may cause the jars to break during processing.

Process the jars of beans in the pressure canner by following the manufacturer's instructions precisely. For pint jars, process the beans for 70 minutes, and for quart jars, process them for 90 minutes. Check the jar lids for proper seals before storing.